Starbucks, the national coffee chain with locations throughout San Diego, appears to be working on another location in Ramona at 1801 Main Street.
The company recently submitted documents to the Department of Environmental Health and Quality to open a new site in Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s current home. While this may seem like a surprising move, considering Starbucks has two locations down the street near the Homestar Shopping Center, it proves the company has no intentions of slowing down, even in areas that already have a handful of sites. If approved, the company will open a new location with a drive-thru.
This isn’t the first time this year Starbucks has opened a location in an area that other Starbucks already occupies. Earlier this year, What Now San Diego reported on the company opening a new site on Balboa Avenue, down the street from three other Starbucks locations. The decision to open this location angered a handful of locations, not only because a fourth Starbucks within a mile radius seemed unnecessary, but because the company managed to obtain a “no compete clause” with this location, which forced Shaka Coffee on Balboa Avenue to close.
It’s unclear if and when Starbucks will be moving into Popeyes’s home, which is still open. The company is likely pushing for more locations throughout San Diego and other areas due to Dutch Bros‘ massive expansion plans, which include new locations in Vista, Escondido, National City, Chula Vista, and more. Another local coffee chain, Better Buzz, is also experiencing massive growth, with at least six new locations opening this year in Southern California, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. To keep customers interested in returning, Starbucks continues to launch new menu items, such as Iced Energy Drinks, a response to Panera Bread’s discontinuation of its charged lemonade.
